Victor in Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech could come down to time of possession

November 08, 2011|By Norm Wood, nwood@dailypress.com | 757-247-4642

BLACKSBURG — — As he stood on the sideline in 2009 in Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium, Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas was about as helpless as he has ever been in his college career.

He was dressed out for the game, but he was redshirting – truly just along for the ride.

Watching Georgia Tech hold onto the ball for nearly seven minutes on a 12-play, 86-yard drive late in the third quarter – a drive that concluded with a touchdown to put Georgia Tech up 21-10 – Thomas could sense the aggravation emanating from Virginia Tech's starting quarterback at the time.

Tyrod Taylor was just as powerless, pacing around on the sideline as Georgia Tech's option attack ate up yards in what eventually ended up being a 28-23 win for the Yellow Jackets.

"(Taylor) did have some frustration, but that just comes from the offense that they run," Thomas said. "I haven't talked to him about it just because I know what he was going through. I had the same frustration myself."

With No. 10 Virginia Tech (8-1 overall, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) preparing for a Thursday night meeting in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, Thomas will have his opportunity to make an impact on the field against the Yellow Jackets. Just as it has in Hokies' first three meetings against the Paul Johnson-coached Yellow Jackets, time of possession will play a critical role in the game.

Coming into this week's game, both teams are among the top 15 in the nation in time of possession. Virginia Tech leads the ACC with an average of 34 minutes, 20 seconds time of possession per game, while No. 20 Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2) is second in the conference with an average of 32 minutes, 29 seconds per game.

As important as Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer believes it is to keep Georgia Tech's dominant rushing attack (second in the nation with an average of 328 yards per game) off the field, and thus keep the ball in the hands of his own offense, he also knows merely possessing the ball won't do it. Obviously, some of the possessions have to be productive.

"I think keeping the ball, and how you do it – whether you throw it or whether you run it – that's not the issue," Beamer said. "The issue is that you do it, then come up with some points. You can't only just keep the ball away. You've got to get some points. If you can ever get them behind, you've got an advantage there.

Last season, Virginia Tech barely came out ahead in the time of possession category, holding the ball for just over 31 minutes – and the Hokies also barely won the game, 28-21 on the strength of a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by David Wilson with 2:23 left.

In that '09 game, Georgia Tech dominated time of possession. It held the ball for more than 38 minutes, including the aforementioned 12-play drive that lasted six minutes, 19 seconds, and a fourth quarter possession that consumed seven minutes, 34 seconds, ending with a Georgia Tech lost fumble that actually led to a Virginia Tech touchdown.

"It's a tough outfit to play them one time a year and try to prepare for it and get your kids where they need to be," Beamer said. "They make you be very exact…If you've got a wrong step in there, they've probably got you."

Virginia Tech possessed the ball four seconds longer than Georgia Tech in the '08 meeting, and the Hokies squeezed by with a 20-17 victory. Dustin Keys nailed a 21-yard field goal with 4:37 left.

Georgia Tech's steady ground game, which is led by quarterback Tevin Washington (168 carries for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns), has helped the Yellow Jackets have 14 scoring possession of 10 plays or more. That's 29 percent of their scoring drives (14 of 49).

Virginia Tech, which boasts its own solid rushing attack with Wilson (second in the nation with 1,185 rushing yards; Virginia Tech is 25th in nation in rushing offense with 200.2 yards per game), has had nine of its 37 scoring drives last 10 plays or longer (24 percent).

"We just know we've got to control the clock, control the ball and score points," Thomas said. "Obviously, everybody knows about Georgia Tech's offense and what they can do. I think it just gives a little added pressure to (Virginia Tech's) offense to perform in that situation."